It is known that a television is a telecommunication medium used for transmitting moving images and sound. The television can transmit images that are monochrome, in color, or in three dimensions. Generally, one type of television—a flat screen television—is lighter and thinner than traditional television sets and video displays that use cathode ray tubes. However, the flat screen television does not have a wide base to rest on, and thus, requires an external support for adjustable positioning and viewing.
Various brackets, mounts, and tables exist for flat screen televisions. One such support is a Flat Display Mounting Interface (FDMI). The FDMI is a family of standards defined by the Video Electronics Standards Association for mounting flat panel monitors, TVs, and other displays to stands or wall mounts. It is generally implemented on most modern flat-panel monitors and televisions.
Additionally, inexpensive stands for the flat screen television are available. However, often these stands, which require user assembly, often are not well designed with the thought of television dimensions and weight in mind. For example, the stands are often constructed of lightweight, inexpensive materials that are not conducive to stability. Furthermore, venting of the component heat is often poor, and may result in obvious holes and vents which detract from the aesthetic appeal of these stands. Additionally management of the considerable number of cables is typically an afterthought.
Better quality stands have improved appearance but may still not be carefully designed for home entertainment systems. For example fixed shelves do not take into account component size which often requires varying shelf clearance. Furthermore these stands can take a considerable amount of time to assemble. Even assembly for store display of the stand can be an issue as employee labor rates are high and time is often of the essence during new store openings and busy selling seasons. Additionally, assembly of the stands may require many assembly steps and proper orientation of parts.
Often, television stands, and supportive furniture structures in general, are shipped in a fully-assembled condition from a manufacturer to a retailer and then carried off by an end user to a home or office. Consequently, the television stands is generally bulky, cumbersome and difficult to transport in a space-efficient manner. That is to say, a fully-assembled television stands consumes relatively large shipping space during transport to a retailer. Similarly, the end user may need to have available a specially-sized vehicle should he wish to carry the television stand to the home or office. The inefficient shipment of the television stand between the manufacturer and end user often results in inconvenience as well as significantly higher transportation costs which are commonly passed through to the purchaser.
Other proposals have involved folding television stands. The problem with these devices is that they do not provide a stable configuration while supporting the weight of the television, nor are the hinges for folding the television stand sufficiently detachable and pivotal.
Thus, an unaddressed need exists in the industry to address the aforementioned deficiencies and inadequacies. Even though the above cited methods for flat screen television stands meets some of the needs of the market, a collapsible television support assembly with dual support shafts and separable buckle hinges is still desired.